Easter pt 2 – Eternal Life Through God’s Only Son

April 6, 2012

Today in the world people are dying from war and acts of war. Some are starved, others are persecuted. Its not a matter of if this type of stuff happens, but why? Why does man continue to make “other man” suffer? Do you think that if man alone were able to end all of the sin and blood shed in the world we would have done it by now? It seems to me that war is the preferred method we use to bring so called peace. War is like a fist fight; when someone strikes you, you strike them back only with more force. Eventually you get attacked again and then you strike back! All of this unfolds until one side gives up and/or is completely destroyed. Sure a type of “peace” may come from it but the process of war itself is far from peaceful.

What are your thoughts on all of the war in the world? Is the stock piling of weapons and acts of war useful in bringing peace? It seems to me that the nature of politics makes that a difficult question to answer and public civilians are usually unaware or misinformed of who they are fighting against. They think they know why and who they are fighting but most of times they do not. They are told to hate an entire county yet personally they know of not one person living in that county. For instance I wonder if any Americans knew personally any one person that was incinerated by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan? Were those that perished the enemy? Were they responsible for WWII? Or were the few and their differences the cause of such destruction?

Please friends do not undermine the grip that sin has on the world. As I wrote in my previous post, Jesus had this to say in regards to sin,“Truly truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”{1} Because we are slaves to sin, we need to be saved from sin. Only in God and his infinite wisdom and love for mankind may we find salvation from our sins.

So What Is God’s Plan to Save Humanity From Sin?

The over story of history written in the Scriptures teaches that starting with Adam and Eve, all have sinned therefore all will perish in sin. But don’t worry! God has a plan for us as prophesied through the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, Isaiah, nearly 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Let me repeat myself so that this can be fully appreciated – The words you are about to read were written almost a thousand years before Jesus and were well known by the time of his birth. Here is what Isaiah wrote:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The Spirit of the LORD [YHWH] will rest on him–

The Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and of power,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD [YHWH].”

“He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

He was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. ”{3}{4}{5}

Fast forwarding through time we read what the last old testament prophet, John the Baptist, had to say regarding Jesus:

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand;

Whoever obeys the Son has eternal life;

Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life,

but the wrath of God remains on him.”{6}

It seems clear that Jesus knew who he was when he said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.

From now on you do know him and have seen him.” {7}

Following Jesus’s ministry, death, and resurrection, the apostle Paul had this to say:

“As one trespass led to the condemnation for all men,

so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

For as by the one mans disobedience the many were made sinners,

so by the one mans obedience the many will be made righteous.”{8}

In other words, Paul is saying that although sin was brought into the world by one man’s (Adams) sin, so by one man’s (Jesus) obedience and sacrifice we may not die but have eternal life. Death through Adam, life through the only sinless man and Son of God – Jesus.

Did you notice the exclusivity of the claims made by Jesus and his disciples? That Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven? This is a very dividing theological founding that many seem to frown at. One that apparently Oprah, of the Oprah Winfrey Show, seemed to dismiss when she said, “There are many paths to God. Literally millions of ways. It is like a mountain and it’s peak – We all are heading for the same destination, only we may take a different path.” {9} So at first glance, Jesus’s statement that he is “The Way” may seem offensive to those who place their faith in other cults and world religions. They may say how can Jesus say that he is the only way to God? How intolerant of Christians to believe that!

My reply? Read the Gospels of Jesus and study other world religions for yourself. When one does so with an open heart they will discover the context of who Jesus was and consider his impact upon the world against other spiritual leaders of the past. They will find that unlike any other:

Jesus lived mostly a solitary life

He was born of a virgin in less than sanitary conditions to a lowly Jewish family

He owned no house, no livestock, no possessions, and walked everywhere he went

Nothing about him was noble

It is written that Jesus performed many miraculous signs in a number of verified sources:

The lame walked

The sick were healed

The dead were raised.

He fed 5000 men once with only a few fish and loaves of bread

He demonstrated power over nature by commanding a raging storm to cease.

Jesus is the only man who claimed, and many believed, to be the only-begotten Son of God

He is the only man who claimed to have the divine authority to forgive sins and give eternal life

He is the only man in recorded history that claimed he would rise from the dead and backed it up.

In three short years of ministry, he turned an entire nation and empire upside down.

In three short years more is written about this one solitary man than any figure or king in history

He fulfilled prophecy

He came to save man

But at last he did not save

He was put to shameful death upon a cross

But claimed beforehand that he would rise again

His bones are still missing

Because he claimed he would come again….

Will you accept Jesus as your savior from sin? Would you like to get to know more about him and his mission? I challenge anyone that would consider him to take the 21 day challenge. Which is to pick up and read one chapter everyday from the Gospel of John until the 21st chapter (Takes about 10 minutes /day max). Afterwards reflect on what is said and answer this question: Who is Jesus?

Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-21